Gender and the Science of Difference
Cultural Politics of Contemporary Science and Medicine
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Rutgers University Press
Published:15th Jun '11
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
How does contemporary science contribute to our understanding about what it means to be women or men? What are the social implications of scientific claims about differences between "male" and "female" brains, hormones, and genes? How does culture influence scientific and medical research and its findings about human sexuality, especially so-called normal and deviant desires and behaviors? Gender and the Science of Difference examines how contemporary science shapes and is shaped by gender ideals and images.
Prior scholarship has illustrated how past cultures of science were infused with patriarchal norms and values that influenced the kinds of research that was conducted and the interpretation of findings about differences between men and women. This interdisciplinary volume presents empirical inquiries into today's science, including examples of gendered scientific inquiry and medical interventions and research. It analyzes how scientific and medical knowledge produces gender norms through an emphasis on sex differences, and includes both U.S. and non-U.S. cases and examples.
"This refreshing volume comes at a critical time, lending clarity and intelligence to current issues of gender and biological determinism." -- Susan Lindee * University of Pennsylvania *
"The anthology addresses how contemporary scientific and medical claims about the differences between men and women produce gendered institutions that reflect social and cultural values. An excellent volume that will interest scholars in gender studies, science studies, and the sociology of medicine. Highly recommended."
* Choice *
ISBN: 9780813550473
Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 20mm
Weight: 399g
272 pages